


Walk in the Park

by 1V1



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), F/M, Honestly this is just a fic for spitting out cute winter ideas, I have no goal or plans, Nothing but the fluff, and maybe cute pinning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:47:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21953167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1V1/pseuds/1V1
Summary: Meeting him once was happenstance. Meeting him twice was coincidence. But meeting him three times and you begin to see a pattern.It's gold and green, and he smiles with mischief in his eyes every time you meet.And it all started with a simple accident.
Relationships: Loki/Original Female Character, Loki/Reader
Comments: 10
Kudos: 102





	1. Happenstance

**Author's Note:**

> I have no real direction for this, i just want a cute holiday fic outlet

You were alone on Christmas. Well, not alone as some would define it. You had family, had friends. You could visit them but doing so was an event. Friends had their own plans and family demanded attention and energy- not to mention obligations you’d rather not have to be grilled on for hours on end. Then there was work! You couldn’t afford the days off needed to travel, nor could you afford that. So Christmas was going to be spent at home. Or it would be if you hadn’t forgotten to finish a few errands on your one day off.  
It was a slow day for errands, most shops closed and few people out and about. The only comfort was that the nice cafe by the park was still open until 5, and you could go for some self indulgent treat to brighten the day that otherwise was unremarkable. 

It was cold, not yet snowing, but the forecast predicted it next week, so you didn’t mind getting your drink to go. You didn’t mind standing by the door before heading out, the scent of sugary sweetness to come while you added a small dusting of vanilla powder on top.  
“Excuse me” A man’s hand reached past you, plucking the small bottle of cinnamon powder up to top off his own drink. You noticed it before it happened- his draw back had the jar of cinnamon hit his cup and knock it over. Or it would have, had you not barely stopped it, hissing as hot coffee scalded your hand.  
“Ah-”  
“Oh-” Both of you made sounds of alarm, and the man quickly set down his intended topping to move the drink away to clean the mess. “Are you alright?” Social politeness dictated he asked and it also dictated your answer.  
“It’s okay, I’m fine.” But the hot water had left a sting on your skin. A sting that was cooler than the warmth of your face as you looked at the man. He was handsome, angular face with piercing eyes. Dark hair that contrasted to pale skin and as he spoke your face flushed more from the vaguely English accent he had.  
“It doesn’t look fine.” He said, eyes on your pink skinned hand.  
“Oh.” You didn’t really look at it. Not until he said such and then it dawned that yes, that was a bit of burn.  
“You midgardians are so fragile.” He muttered, hand covering your own briefly a cool gel like sensation covering the burn- which vanished. 

“What?” You blinked then looked at him again. One, what did he mean Midgardian? Two, he healed you? Was he a mutant? It was a small cafe, and the whole interaction hadn’t gone unnoticed, a middle aged man now looking at both of you, suspect. Mutants were still very much seen as terrible freaks and mostly treated as second class citizens-  
“You say the weirdest stuff.” You smiled, putting on an act as you tried to get your drink sorted quickly. The man who helped you after inadvertently burning you raise his brow as you acted like you knew him.  
“Come on, if we hang out here any longer we’ll miss daylight.” You hoped the man got the hint, as you could see the other man now looking at you both with growing irritation and scrutiny. Thankfully, the healing man seemed to notice too and nodded.  
“True. Have to get our steps in don’t we?” He smiled back, but it was slightly less friendly and more.. Playful. Mischievous even. You didn’t think much of it as the man covered his drink and followed you out the door and towards the park.

“Sorry.” It’s the first thing you say to him once you’re far enough from the cafe doors. “You.. healed my hand I take it?” You don’t make him answer. “It’s okay if you did, but… some people still are pretty against mutants and I didn’t want that guy giving you trouble.” He was silent before.  
“You think me a mutant?”  
“I mean, I thought-” He laughed, shaking his head.  
“So you decided to offer an alibi and cover so we might escape unscathed?”  
“It’s the right thing to do.” You blush in the cold air, hoping he’d attribute it to just that, the cold. “People shouldn’t be like that. Bigotted and just-”  
“I’m not a mutant.” He says casually. “I’m Asgardian.” You blink, looking at him harder. It was true, New Asgard was on earth but meeting an Asgardian here of all places?  
“I’m here to help select an embassy location and meet with local figures.” As if he knew the question you’d ask.  
“Sorry, just never met an Ali- Asgardian before.”  
“Good save.” He mocks lightly.  
“Thanks” You both chuckle.  
“Thank you.” He says after, the both of you new at the park’s entrance. “It would have been unpleasant to get into an altercation with someone. I am supposed to be on my best behavior and it’s no secret some do not wish for Asgard to be… mingling with Midgard as is.” He shrugged. “But, that’s another thing entirely. I’ve taken too much time as is. I’m sure you have somewhere to be.”  
“No.” The word spills out fast. “I mean… I don’t have anything planned today, so it was no issue.” Politeness would dictate to part ways, to end the conversation there.

But Loki is not accustomed to being polite.  
“No feasts or festivals? No family gathering or gift giving? Is it not your celebration of ‘Christmas?’” His held tilts slightly, eyes now seeming to focus on you a bit more.  
“No- I can’t take time off to travel for family, and everyone is busy with their own things. So it’s just me.” Your shoulders lift then sag. It didn’t bother you, but it seemed to bother him a bit.  
“That is.. Unfortunate.” He hummed. “As is I have no pressing matters currently.” He looked down at you. “And it’s not often I get to speak to those outside… my circles.” He waved his hand vaguely in the air. “Would you care to take a walk with me?”

You blink. This handsome stranger, an asgardian, is asking to go on a walk with you.  
“That.. sounds nice actually.” The park was flat and even in winter was at least pleasant. “It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”  
“Likely when it was more green I take it?”  
“Try yellow.”  
“Ah, but dull grays and brown are just as nice aren’t they?” He jokes, smiling and making you smile back.  
“Oh of course! Very vibrant and fetching for the season. You know it’s all the rage on the runways.” He snorts, clearly finding your own joke to at least be mildly amusing.

So that's how you end up taking a walk in the park, unknowingly, with the god of Mischief.


	2. Chapter 2

The snow crunches under your feet and you wonder if you can find a nice pair of wool socks on your next day off. These cotton ones that came in the 10 pack were not keeping your poor toes as warm as they should.  
“Penny for your thoughts?” The man’s question drew you back and you smile.  
“Socks. The ones I have aren’t helping fend off the cold.” Briefly you see a flicker of concern on his face.   
“Shouldn’t that be a sign to head back?”  
“Nah.” You wave him off with a free hand, sipping your still warm drink. “It’s like… not cold cold, just a mild awareness that it will get cold later. Like how you shouldn’t eat five more cookies but dang that’s a problem for your future self.” He doesn’t seem to get it but nodded anyway.

“So.” You begin.  
“So.” He chimed back.  
“I want to ask you about well, Asgard and space but I trust you get those types of questions all the time.”  
He hums, drinking his coffee and nodding politely.   
“Not always, but yes, they are frequent.”  
“So then, tell me something you think is weird.”  
“Pardon?” Loki hasn’t ever been asked what he thinks in ‘weird’. What he disliked, what he liked, but not what he thought to be ‘weird’.  
“You know. I mean, humans evolved and we looked at these plants that literally developed chemicals to burn us and we up and decided that we were going to put said plant in a ton of our food dishes. And that’s just chilis.”  
He can’t help but snort in mild amusement. You had a fair point. “I suppose the ‘weirdest’ thing about Midgard is the pure variety of languages. Most races, even ones with as large a planet as your own have at best one to maybe three languages. Your world in contrast has over 100, and that is not even considering the ones that have died out or been lost to time.”  
“We’re not very centralized, so it must seem odd I guess, when you think how other worlds probably are with space travel and that-“  
“Ah but that’s what makes it so odd.” Loki chimes, cutting you off. He finds it faintly endearing, how casual you spoke to him and asked to know and understand something so irrelevant and tangential to anything normal. “Even underdeveloped worlds, ones that barely have begun things akin to your bronze age still have universal languages. The same for worlds with disconnected populaces. Midgard is a anomaly in this, and so, for one like myself, it is something I find odd.” He pauses, realizing it is more the academic in him that finds it odd than him personally.   
“That and your race’s need to try and ferment everything.”  
“Huh? Like what?” You srunch your face, and Loki admits to himself, it’s cute, the way you try to understand him too.  
“Eggs. Seeds. Fish. All manners of meat. While they are methods of food preservation, the taste of many leaves much to be desired.”  
“Hey now, I don’t claim to know a lot about Asgardian food, but I didn’t miss the whole Good Morning America segment where Thor came out with your guy’s version of surströmming.”  
“In my defense, Thor is an idiot and we only eat it on holidays.”  
“Okay maybe, but no lie, seeing half the hosts try not to puke on live TV was a riot.”  
“I cannot say I also didn’t find that to be particularly pleasing to watch unfold. More so watching the oaf fumble and try to cover up the fish after having let the smell fill the studio.”

You stop in your walk as finally; your brain starts connecting the dots. Loki had taken a few steps ahead when he turned, facing you and sighing.  
“I do ask you not scream. I’d rather not have to deal with that and the police.”  
Loki, God of Mischief, supposedly dead four times over, reformed villain and nightmare of talk show hosts was standing in front of you, bundled in winter attire, holding a coffee and walking with you through the park on Christmas.   
“Uh.” At least you didn’t scream. “So. You’re-“  
“Would you like me to get the horns?” And like that, the iconic golden helm appears on his head, slightly at odds with the rest of his outfit. “Go on, faint. I’ll take you to the hospital.” He was calm, and you guessed this kind of thing happened before.

“Wow.”

It was all you could say. Here was a guy who literally tried to take over the world, and now was just… having a walk. With you.  
“This is kinda surreal.” To his credit, he just made the helm go away.  
“I admit, you’re taking this better than I expected.”  
“I mean, I think I’m still trying to process it, but I think I’m okay?” You’re not sure. “You haven’t like, tried to be evil or done anything. Well.” You look at the hand that had been burned. “You healed me? So, I guess, it’s…cool?” He blinks and you walk back to his side.  
“I won’t make it weird if you won’t?” You offer. Loki has decided, he rather likes you.   
“Darling, let me tell you one truth- Everything is weird. It all just depends on who you ask.” A smile tugs at the corner of your mouth and Loki finds he likes it. Your smile is an honest one, and your ease of his presence a welcome change to the usual affair of him trying to mesh with humans only to have them screaming obscenities at him once they learn who he is.   
“Got me there.”  
“You know who I am, but will you let me know who you are?” He teases, not expecting an answer.

“No one.” Your answer is given simply. Calm, yet resigned. “Just another cog in the machine that is capitalism. But-“ You tell him and he feels a sense of warmth. He attributes it to his drink.   
The pair of you walk side by side one the sidewalk of the park, and he wonders if you enjoy it as much as he does. This casual company.  
If he knew you liked it, that it was a sort of happiness that came from just not being alone, he’d have smiled from that too.


	3. Chapter 3

A pile of dirty snow greets the pair of you, blocking your path on the sidewalk. It’s to be expected, the snow shoveling needing to shovel somewhere. Still, the fact they’d pile it on the sidewalk and prevent people from being able to walk on solid ground rather than slushy ice cold mud is a bummer. Not to mention you were pretty sure it was in violation of ADA or something.

“Don’t look so glum.” Loki, for the most part, just starts to climb over it on the shortest side, deftly avoiding both the worst of the muddy slush and the less white and more brown parts of the piled up snow.  
“It’s not too terrible.”

“Says the man with thick winter boots and gloves.” You chastise, holding both drinks in hand. You wait still, patient, as Loki makes his way over the hurdle before handing the drinks off, leaving you to climb over the small snowy mountain.

“Some of us prepare for the cold.” He teases.

“And some of us are not strong aliens who could deadlift a car.” Your grouse is light still, shakily clambering over the pile and yelping when your foot slides. Not too far, but the sudden movement caught you off guard. What was more shocking was that Loki now held your arm to steady you- and the drink that had been in his hand hovered in the air.   
“What?” Your eyes on the drink you don’t even notice how he guided you over the rest of the snow, letting you stand on your own once more on solid ground. “You can do that?” 

Loki’s chuckle is warm and you can’t help the blush as you realize you were gawking. Not that he notices, your face pink from the chill already. “Yes, but as a general practice, using magic when it’s not needed is in bad form.”

Taking your drink from the air, you notice how it also seemed a bit warmer, not a thing worth asking about but a nice gesture none the less.  
“How so?”

The hum that leaves him in short, more the action of pause to hide how he mulled over the phrasing. “It’s like showing off- Most sedir, that is, magic users don’t necessarily need to use magic for daily tasks or things in general. It’s something that requires energy and focus, so why waste it frivolously when you can do tasks just as easy on your own? So using it when it’s not needed is a bit of a social faux pas, a bit of peacocking and a bit of needless waste of energy.”

“Ah.” You nod your head. “So to you magic shows must be like, really awkward? Since even if it’s not traditional magic, the whole point is showmanship?” Its a stretch, but you kind of understand the point of not using magic at random.

“Not really.” Loki sips his drink, warm breath misting the air. “Midguradian magic shows are more sleight of hand, trickery. I actually find them quite enjoyable. But-” His free hand gestured to himself. “Mischief after all is a good portion of trickery. A fan part at that.” His gaze shifts to you, eyes mirthful.  
“Would you like to see a trick?”

You laugh. “No thanks. I’ve read a few articles. I don’t need my scarf turning into a snake thank you. Besides, cold blooded animals wouldn’t do in this weather.” His chuckle is light, and he takes your rebuttal in stride.

“Fair enough, but at least let me show you one trick before we part ways. Benign I assure you.”  
“Do I trust a trickster?”  
His smile is charming. Far too charming if you’re honest with yourself. “That depends. How much of a risk are you willing to take?”

Loki isn’t one for flirting, he’s not one to have much more than a passing interest, yet he can’t help smiling at his companion, at you. You however are blissfully unaware of what dances in his thoughts.

“Well I’m already walking with a villain-”  
“Ex-Villain.”  
“Pardon, EX-Villain, so I mean, why not. You only live once.” YOu look at him. “Or four times in your case.”

“Five technically.” The deadpan delivery, the small smirk, you laugh alongside him until your foot catches a patch of black ice, nearly sending you to the ground. But as you stumble, Loki’s hand grabs you and steadies you for the second time in a short while.   
He can’t see your blush past the winter cold red your face has become in the open air.

“I really should have gotten better boots.” Your grumble is met with his silence before-

“How about this?” There is a strange sensation, like your feet had fallen asleep for a split second. But as you look down you notice your shoes are now replicas of his own. Thick and warm, and your socks also are now most definitely wool.  
“Better?” He asks, as if he hasn’t just magically changed your shoes and socks to be entirely different things.

“Yes but uh….”

“Try not to think too hard about it. For simplicity sake, think of it like transmutation. Just swapping one form of matter for another.” Loki shrugs, his face on your own, waiting for a reaction. 

You just smile and nod back at him. No point in asking much more about it, and from the way he explained it, there was actual in depth mechanics behind his sorcery. But hey, you hadn’t gone on a walk for that. You’d gone on a walk for the company which was proving to be rather nice.   
Steadying yourself, you nearly slid again when Loki just sighed, hooking his arm in your own.   
“Well I can’t have you falling and cracking your skull open. They’d say I pushed you.” It’s a joke, but the self depreciation is there as well as the sad resignation to his own situation. It hadn’t quite hit you with how it must be like, to be feared and in general avoided and have to walk on literal eggshells with people. Just walking with someone like this must be a nice change of pace for him.

“You know.” You begin, wondering if it is a good idea. “There is this nice restaurant about two blocks from here if you don’t mind more walking. They have a fire pit in this nice outdoor area that's covered and somewhat enclosed- might be nice to grab a bite to eat?” The offer made, you don’t expect him to accept, much less entertain you.

“Your car is waiting at the coffee shop.” He reminds.

“Then we go back, grab my car and head over. It’s not a big deal if I have to walk after grabbing a bite.”

There is a mix of emotions on his face before he smiles. “Very well. We’ll stave off the cold, get some nourishment, and perhaps talk of other things? Like why you seem to have terrible balance.” His teasing is granted your laughter and a light shove to his side.

It’s nice, he thinks, It’s nice to have such warm and welcome company. He likes it.  
He thinks he might like you too.


End file.
